Inkstand



(No Model.)

G. A. FIFIE'LD-.. INKSTAND.

110.409.351. Patented Aug. 20, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. FIFIELD, OF DUBUQUE, IOWVA.

INKSTAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,351, dated August 20, 1889.

Application filed June 10, 1889. Serial No.3l3,685. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. FIFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Inkstands; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to various new and useful improvements in inkstands; and the particular varieties of inkstands to which my invention has immediate reference are those in which the entrance to the ink-well will be immediately closed by the Weight of the pen, placed on a convenient rack, and when the penis removed therefrom the entrance will be opened automatically. In the devices of this character heretofore made there has been no question as to their great convenience and utility; but nevertheless there are some disadvantages attendant on their construction, and particularly by reason of the peculiar arrangement of the closing-lid with relation to the mouth of the ink-receptacle, this relation being such that the lid is liable to become lodged over the entrance by reason of the coagulated ink.

The principal novelties in the construction of my invention consist of an ink-vessel havin g an opening therein for the entrance of the pen, a movable shield pivoted with relation to said ink-vessel and having an opening therein coincident with the hole in the inkvessel, a support attached either to the shield or ink-vessel for receiving the pen, and a counterbalancing-weight attached either to the ink-vessel or to the shield, for normally keeping the two holes coincident.

In the description of my invention following hereinafter, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cylindrical form of my invention having the pen-holder supports and counterbalancingweights secured to the ink-receptacle; Fig. 2, a cross-sectional view of the same; Fig. 3, a

front elevation of a cylindrical form of my invention having the pen-holder supports and counterbalancing-weight secured to the movable shield; Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectional view of the same; Fig. 5, a front elevation of another form of my invention having a differently-arranged movable shield; Fig. 6, a sectional view of the same, and Fig. 7 an end elevation of Fig.

In all of the figures the corresponding parts of the article are designated by identical letters of reference.

The three forms I have illustrated in the drawings will be described in their regular order. The first form consists of an ink-receptacle A, made preferably of metal in the cylindrical form shown. This ink-receptacle is closed at its ends by means of suitable heads, so as to be capable of holding the liquid without leakage. At the upper portion of this ink-receptacle is an opening a for the entrance of the pen-holder. Surrounding this receptacle is a casing or shield B, made also of metal and of a construction precisely like that of the in'kreceptacle, with the exception that such casing is somewhat larger. The ink-receptacle is pivoted within the casing or shield B, by means of pivoting-pins b b, in such a manner as to be capable of a rotary movement within said casing. These pivotin gpins are attached to the before-men t-ioned heads of the ink-receptacle and pass loosely through the corresponding heads of this casing or shield. An opening 0, corresponding to the opening a and coincident therewith, is made in the upper portion of the casing or shield.

The casing or shield is supported by means of suitable feet or standards (1 d, adapted to rest upon the desk so as to present the two coincident openings a and 0 approximately vertically. Two or more curved arms e e are soldered or otherwise secured to the exterior of the ink-receptacle and pass out through the slots f f in the casing or shield. These curved arms e e are for the support of the pen-holder.

In order that the two openings at and 0 may be always kept normally coincident, a counterbalancing-weight g is made use of.

The location of such a weight is immaterial. It may be placed at the lower interior portion of the ink-receptacle, or at the side thereof opposite the curved arms e e; or it might be secured to one or both of the heads of said inkreceptacle. Instead of utilizing such a counterbalancing-weight it might be just as advantageous to make use of an ordinary spring. The introduction of this latter feature could be instituted without the exercise of inventive ingenuity.

The operation of the form of inkstand I have just described is as follows: The inkreceptacle is filled with ink, and the pen is introduced through the openings a and c to the same in the usual manner. When the writer has finished using the inkstand, the pen-holder is placed upon the curved arms 6 e,which will be carried downward in the slots f f in opposition to the retracting force exerted by the counterbalancing weight or spring. This movement of the ink-receptacle upon the pivoting-pins b b will throw the two openings a and 0 out of their normal coincident relation with each other, and the opening a will be closed and all dust, &c., thereby effectively excluded. Upon removing the pen-holder from the curved arms e e the counterbalancing weight or spring will force the ink-receptacle back to its original position and the stand will be again ready for use.

The form of inkstand illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 is of the general characteristics as the one just described, the only differences between the two being in matters of detail. The second form of stand is provided with an ink-receptacle A, with a casing or shield B, with the feet or standards cl cl,with the curved arms 6 e, and with the coincident openings a c, all of the same general appearance of the corresponding elements of the first form. In this second form of stand, however, instead of throwing the ink receptacle partially around within the shield or casin g, the reverse movements take placethat is to say, the casing is rotated around a stationary ink-receptacle. This change of movements is brought about by securing the curved arms e e to the side of the shield or casing by attaching the feet or standards at 01 directly to the bottom of the ink-receptacle, and by placing the counterbalancingweight on the side of the shield or casing directly opposite the curved arms 6 6. Since the casing in this form moves with relation to the feet or standards (I d, the slots f f are placed in the casing so that said feet may be moved therein. In this form of inkstand, when the pen is placed on the curved arms 6 e, the easing B is thrown partially around on the pivoting-pins, (the feet or standards at (1 working in the slots f f,) and the coincident relations of the two openings a and c are broken. In both of the two forms of inkstands above described the extent of the movement of either the ink-receptacle or shield depen'dsentirely on the length of the slots f f, as will be readily apparent.

I have invented still another modification in the construction of my inkstand, which, while differing somewhat from the general appearance of the two forms described above, still partakes approximately of the same operation. This third form of inkstand is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. It consists of an inkreceptacle A, made preferably with a fiat bottom, so that the feet or standards may be dispensed with, and with a semi-rounded top. Within this top is the opening a. Projecting from each side of this ink-receptacle is a pivoting-pin b b. Engaging with these pivotingpins Z) Z) are the vertical arms h h, which sup port the shield B at their upper ends. This shield extends only a short distance on each side of the opening a, and is provided with the opening 0, the two openings being coincident, as in the other modifications. At the forward portion of this shield B are the curved arms a c, which can, if desired, be made in one continuous piece. From the rear portion of this shield extends the curved arm 2', provided at its lower end with the counterbalancingweight g. This curved arm 1' is used so that the center of gravity of the counterbalancingweight may be placed as low as possible in order that the best possible effect may be obtained from said weight. In this form it will be apparent that when a pen-holder is placed upon the curved arms a e the shield will be thrown forward by reason of its being mounted on the supporting-arms h h, and the two openings at and 0 will be separated, as in the two preceding forms of inkstand. On removing the pen from the curved arms 6 e the weight g will throw the shield back to its first position. Suitable studs j j are placed on each side of the ink-receptacle to limit the movement of the shield.

In all three of the forms of inkstands I have described the matters of ornamentation, proportion, and material are left entirely to the discretion of the manufacturer. Such matters relate in no way to the essential spirit of my invention, which consists in pivoting an ink-receptacle and a shield with relation to each other, so that when a pen is placed on a movable bracket the two openings in the inkreceptacle and shield, respectively, will be thrown out of their coincident location.

Having now fully and entirely described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an inkstand, the combination, with an ink-receptacle, of a shield or casing pivoted with relation thereto and each having a coincident opening therein, said ink-receptacle or said shield being movable, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In an inkstand, the combination, with an ink-receptacle, of a shield or casing pivoted with relation thereto and each having a coincident opening therein, and a pen-rack e e, lent, secured to the movable part of said inksecured to the movable portion of said penstand, substantially as set forth. 1o holder, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in 3. In an inkstand, the combination, with an presence of two Witnesses.

ink-receptacle, of a shield or casing pivoted GEORGE A. FIFIELD. with relation thereto and each having a coinlVitnesses: cident opening therein, and a pen-rack e e MONROE M. OADY,

and counterbalancing-weight g, or its equiva- SABRIE M. GODDARD. 

